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Children’s License Agreement

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (“CHOA”) provides free access to certain materials and information, documentation, forms, questionnaires and diagrams relating to the study, prevention, and treatment of concussions via this website and its related pages, including without limitation, for your reference or download (collectively, the “Concussion Program Materials”) as described in this License agreement (“Agreement”). By accessing the Concussion Program Materials, you accept and agree to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

1. Right to Access and Use. CHOA hereby provides you a fully-paid, nontransferable, nonexclusive, personal right and license to access, download, or otherwise use any Concussion Program Materials solely for the following purposes:

(i) if you are accessing the materials as a parent, you may use the Concussion Program Materials for your personal, non-commercial use to educate yourself and your family on concussion prevention and treatment for a child;

(ii) if you are accessing the materials as an athletics coach or on behalf of a school organization, you may use the Concussion Program Materials to promote concussion safety to your staff, students and athletes and to create appropriate concussion management procedures; and

(iii) if you are a healthcare provider, you may use the Concussion Program Materials for your personal, professional development to enhance your medical knowledge in the field of concussions. You acknowledge the Concussion Program Materials are not to be used as definitive diagnostic tools with any specific patient and your independent medical judgment will be used to treat any patient.

You must maintain all CHOA proprietary notices on the Concussion Program Materials. You may not copy, modify, adapt, reverse engineer or create derivative works of the Concussion Program Materials or remove any copyright or other proprietary rights notices therefrom. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where indicated in the Concussion Program Materials, schools and sports organizations are permitted to co-brand certain of the Concussion Program Materials with CHOA’s prior written consent. Additionally, schools, sports programs and recreational leagues may put their own logo on the Concussion Policy and modify it to meet their needs. CHOA may update, replace or remove some or all of the Concussion Program Materials from time to time, and you should check back with the website to determine if the Concussion Program Materials you downloaded are current.

2. Reservation of Rights. Except for the limited license provided to you in Section 1 of this Agreement, no express or implied license, right, or ownership interest of any kind is granted to you with respect to any of the Concussion Program Materials or any copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights therein. CHOA reserves all rights not expressly granted in this Agreement.

3. Disclaimer of Medical Advice. The Concussion Program Materials do not constitute specific medical advice and are provided as information resources only. The Concussion Program Materials do not create a patient-physician relationship and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice and treatment from a licensed doctor. In the case of a concern, a medical professional should be consulted. In the event of an emergency, you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. By licensing the Concussion Program Materials, CHOA is not assuming any duty to update the Concussion Program Materials, and you are responsible for reviewing and approving the Concussion Program Materials for your use.

4. No Warranties. While CHOA makes efforts to provide materials that accurately reflect the research and information CHOA is authorized to make available publicly, THE CONCUSSION PROGRAM AND ALL RELATED MATERIALS ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU ON AN “AS IS” BASIS AND CHOA DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

5. Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT WILL CHOA OR ITS AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF THE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES OF CHOA OR ITS AFFILIATES, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSS OF GOODWILL OR PROFIT IN ANY WAY ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE MATERIALS, HEREUNDER, INCLUDING THE FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OR LIKELIHOOD OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN ANY EVENT, THE LIABILITY OF CHOA AND ITS AFFILIATES, AND THE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF CHOA AND ITS AFFILIATES, FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, SHALL NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

6. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia of the United States of America, without regard to its rules regarding conflicts of law.

7. General. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties regarding its subject matter and supersedes any prior understanding or agreement respecting the subject matter of this Agreement. You irrevocably waive any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or Concussion Program Materials. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid, the remainder of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect.

During Your Stay

Everything is in place to help you feel supported and at home during your stay.

Everything is in place to help you feel supported and at home during your stay.

During Your Stay

Checking in

When you and your child arrive at Children's as a new patient, you’ll check in at the appropriate registration desk, which may or may not be in the main lobby. (You’ll receive specific directions for this in your pre-registration packets before you arrive.) Parents and guardians will be given an ID badge within 24 hours of arrival. For safety reasons, please wear it and make sure it can be seen at all times in the hospital.

Check-In Express kiosks

If your child is a returning patient, your check-in process can be made easier with Check-In Express, our self-service check-in system. Check-In Express kiosks are located at Egleston and Scottish Rite hospitals as well as the Children's Medical Office Building at Scottish Rite.

You can use Check-In Express to:

Check in for inpatient or outpatient appointments

Print appointment details

Update contact and insurance information

Make payments

Sign consent forms

Find directions to other Children’s locations

Outpatient check-in

Check-In Express is also available for outpatient appointments with:

Radiology services

Sleep Center

Pulmonary services

Cardiac Cath Lab services

Judson L. Hawk Jr., M.D. Clinic

Center for Craniofacial Disorders

Rehabilitation services (A service of Children's at Scottish Rite)

Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Egleston

Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Scottish Rite

Carolos and Marguerite Mason Transplant Center at Egleston

Children’s mobile app

Our free mobile app uses map technology designed for use within hospitals to guide you to exactly where you need to be, allowing you to focus on your child rather than worry about directions. Navigate your entire Children’s experience—from before you leave your house to the time you return home—from the palm of your hand.

Family Services

Patients and their families at Children’s have basic and extraordinary mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and we have many services available to meet them, including:

Child life services

Kids are not just tiny adults. That’s why Children's is different than adult facilities in so many ways, including all of the exciting child life programming we offer that is geared toward even our smallest patients and their caregivers and siblings.

Available services

Educating your child about illness, treatment and surgery, in addition to preparing siblings for the hospital visit

Supporting your child during stressful experiences and procedures

Encouraging your child to express feelings about illness and treatment through therapeutic activities

Normalizing the environment through age-appropriate play and group activities

Helping your child with pain management through distraction and relaxation

Providing support for siblings and other family members, especially in times of grief and death

Places to play

Child Life specialists help our patients cope with hospital life and their illnesses by giving them chances to play and interact in our activity centers. All three Children’s locations feature activity centers supplied with toys, games and crafts for all ages.

In addition, patients and families at Scottish Rite can visit The Zone, Kohl’s Activity Center or the Strong4Life Teaching Garden.

Seacrest Studios Atlanta at Egleston

Our patients at Egleston hospital can participate in the exciting world of radio and TV broadcasting and even meet some of the world’s most famous musicians, actors and athletes at Seacrest Studios Atlanta at Egleston, the first broadcast media center ever opened by the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.

Chaplains

Our chaplains are trained to respond to the spiritual needs of patients in the hospital setting. They provide spiritual support and guidance to patients and families as they seek healing, meaning and hope in the face of illness or injury.

Chaplains share their responsibilities by rotating roles throughout the week to make sure someone is available for spiritual support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They make rounds with caregivers, sit quietly at a patient’s bedside or respond to traumas in the Emergency Department. They also perform interfaith worship services in the hospital chapels.

Chaplain support

Support at profound times

Chaplains are often called upon to be with families in their moments of greatest joy and deepest sadness. They celebrate baptisms, blessings, recoveries and birthdays with families. They provide bereavement support, conduct funerals and memorial services and may help families talk through the delicate subject of organ/tissue/eye donation.

Family Mentor Program

The Family Mentor Program matches families facing new or challenging medical experiences with trained, veteran parents.

Mentors share information and coping skills to help families reduce stress and manage their child’s healthcare in a positive way. They’re trained to provide support, modeling, suggestions and validation to families.

Mentors may talk with families about:

Coping strategies

Managing medical care at home

Parenting in a hospital setting

Obtaining and managing information during hospitalization

Coordinating family life before, during and after hospitalization

Mentor requirements

Mentor requirements Mentors are parents who have been identified as effectively managing the healthcare of their own children and are required to:

Submit an application and letter of support from the healthcare provider most familiar with their child’s care.

Interview with Family Mentor Program committee members.

Complete a background check.

Attend a training session.

Mentor program service areas

The Family Mentor Program is still growing and isn’t yet available to all service areas at Children’s. The program is currently established in the following areas:

Cardiac Services

Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU)

Technology Intensive Care Unit (TICU)

Inpatient Rehab

Outpatient Rehab

Sickle Cell

Getting a mentor

If you’re interested in receiving mentor services please contact a Family Mentor Program liaison listed below:

Family libraries

Located in Egleston and Scottish Rite hospitals, our family libraries contain a wealth of consumer health information and recreational reading materials we have available.

All of our services are free. In addition to educational materials, we provide communication assistance and recreational materials such as puzzles, books, board games and more.

What we offer

Educational materials

Consumer health books

Customized medical information searches

Models and charts of the human body

Reference materials

Spanish materials

More than 2,000 consumer health books, videos and DVDs

Communication services

Computers with Internet access and word processing capabilities

Copier, fax machine, notary and printers

Digital camera check-out (inpatient use only)

A laptop program that provides laptops to patients and their families for check out after a seven-day hospital stay (Egleston only)

You can add to what you learn at our family libraries by consulting MedlinePlus, the National Institutes of Health’s website that offers reliable, up-to-date health information about diseases, conditions and wellness issues in easy-to-understand language.

Library locations, contact information and hours

Hospital teachers and classrooms

Hospital teachers

Our hospital teachers are highly qualified, Georgia-certified educators with previous classroom experience. They are trained in a variety of areas—including elementary, middle, high school and special education—and can help you work with your child's school so that your child doesn’t fall behind. This assistance includes:

Coordinating assignments with your child's teacher(s)

Providing instruction

Sending progress notes to your child's school to show attendance and assignment completion

Providing information about support and resources available at your child's school, including assistance through a Section 504 Plan or an Individualized Education Plan.

Providing information to your child's school about how his illness may impact his learning

Making referrals for home instruction if your child's doctor says that he’s too sick to go back to school for a period of time

Hospital schoolrooms

Egleston and Scottish Rite each have a schoolroom with state-approved textbooks, computers and other learning tools. At Hughes Spalding, school instruction takes place in the outpatient clinics, patient rooms, or the Family Library.

Schoolrooms are staffed with teachers and volunteers.

Bedside instruction may be available to patients who need to remain in their hospital room.

At all hospitals, the classrooms have computers and access to online textbooks. Parents should bring their child’s assignments and books to the hospital if possible. Teachers can also contact schools to get homework. The child’s school will receive a progress report and attendance note so the child will receive credit for work completed during his or her stay.

Social workers

Our social workers are vital members of your child’s healthcare team, and their services are essential to delivering healthcare that promotes all dimensions of wellness for patients and their families.

How our social workers can help your family

Social workers at Children’s use their skills in assessment and intervention to provide our families with counseling, education and resources to enhance their coping and well-being with illness or injury. Our social workers can:

Support you and your family as you learn to cope with your child’s illness or injury

Give you support during times of grief and loss

Address language and cultural concerns

Plan patient care conferences between your family and the medical team

Discuss any concerns about your child’s safety and protection

Plan for your child’s discharge from the hospital

Find resources to help pay for your child’s medicines

Arrange transportation to and from the hospital

Teach you about community agencies that provide ongoing services for financial, insurance, legal, mental health and other needs

Provide information about Advance Directives, which allow patients 18 years and older to make valid, legal choices about their future medical care

Interpreting and translation services

Children’s has a highly qualified, certified team of interpreters and translators who work with doctors, nurses, family service personnel and other healthcare team members. These specialists serve as advocates for our patients and their families, and help them with:

Diagnosis

Discharge

Treatment plans

Medical consent forms

Other communication needs

Services include:

Spanish and other foreign language interpreters

Phone interpreters

Sign language interpreter

Written translations

Cultural resource support

We also use Pacific Interpreters, a telephone service that is available 24 hours a day and provides interpretation in more than 150 different languages.

Children's Canines For Kids

Children's Canines For Kids animal assisted therapy program helps ease anxiety and promotes shorter recovery times. Canine Assistants trains our service dogs to provide therapy, hope and healing by doing everything from giving loving support during chemotherapy treatments to offering comforting snuggles before surgery. Children's also partners with outside service animal companies who often visit our hospitals. Patients are notified when we have these furry visitors so that they may interact with them if they choose to.

Patient Safety

The safety of our patients is a top priority for us. While your child’s doctor or other member of the healthcare team will discuss your child’s specific care with you, we invite you help keep your child safe in the following ways:

Parental involvement

On an ongoing basis:

Please speak up. Ask a staff member when you have questions, concerns or don’t understand something. Write down facts and questions you would like to talk with us about.

Be involved in making decisions about your child’s care. If you want to know something, please ask us. If you want a second opinion, your nurse can help you with this.

Know the results of your child's tests. If you have any questions about your child's test results, ask your doctor. Ask for them to be explained to you in a way you can understand.

Learn about additional patient safety measures.

If you have any concerns about the quality or safety of your child’s care, please speak with your child’s nurse or doctor. If needed, you may also speak with the manager for that area, the nursing supervisor or the patient representative.

You may contact Joint Commission, which accredits more than 20,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the U.S., at complaint@jcaho.org or by phone Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., CST, at 800-994-6610. You also may contact the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Office of Regulatory Services, at 404-657-5700.

Preventing infections

The best way to prevent infections is to clean your hands often and well. All of us carry germs on us. To prevent these germs from harming your child, clean your hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Make sure to clean your child’s hands too.

To prevent the spread of infection, including the flu, remember the following guidelines:

Wash your hands for at least 15 seconds using soap and water, or

Use the alcohol-based hand sanitizer found in the dispensers inside and outside each patient room

Always wash your hands:

When you enter and before you leave your child’s room or exam room

Before and after eating, touching food or feeding your child

After using the bathroom or changing a diaper

After sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose and after wiping your child’s nose

Medication safety

While medicines can help your sick child get better, they also can hurt your child if they are used incorrectly. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you safely administer medicines to your child. Before giving any medicine, however, you should know some basic safety precautions.

Basic safety

To make sure our hospital or neighborhood facility is a safe place for you and your child, Children’s has the following safety guidelines:

For medical emergencies, there is a red emergency pull switch in the bathrooms of all patient rooms.

Parents and children who can walk should wear shoes or slippers to avoid injury.

Fire drills and other emergency-preparedness drills occur from time to time. A nurse will tell you what to do during a drill.

If you find a spill of any kind on the floor, tell the nearest hospital staff member. Please don’t clean up spills yourself. Hospital staff members will notify the appropriate personnel.

To protect your child and prevent the spread of infection, our staff follows special precautions while caring for your child, including hand washing and wearing gloves, a mask, a gown or goggles when necessary.

Coming and Going

Once you’re here, you’ll want to know the ins and outs about parking, visiting hours and hospital access, and making calls to and from Children’s.